Busy families can sometimes struggle to provide healthy meals for their families. We all know that a home-cooked meal done the right way is the best for your health, but sometimes we need a night off here and there. For those moments when you either don’t have the energy or time, here is a list of four great restaurant options for eating healthy.

Denny’s

This well-known roadside diner chain has a surprising array of healthy options tailored to families among its selection of all-American classics. Denny’s “Kids LiveWell” menu is one of the more advanced menus geared towards kids’ health among major franchises. It is more aptly called a program, instead of a menu, since its choices are so comprehensive. As with all of Denny’s menus, it features nutrition information next to each item or meal. Fruit, pasta, veggies, and nutritious drinks are remixed into combinations kids love. For parents and teens, Denny’s has put together two distinct menus with an array of choices. Denny’s “Healthy Dining Choices” options offer a broad approach to healthy foods, while their “Sodium Savvy Choices” is a smaller selection for customers concerned with sodium intake.

Panera Bread

Over the past decade Panera Bread has expanded their operations, bringing unique meals to a broad public that begin with their signature breads more typical of small bakeries. Although the bread is delicious, this bakery offers healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the whole family. They focus on soups, sandwiches, and salads. Panera Bread’s health conscious approach begins with their own highly detailed and publicly available nutrition info guide.

 

Next, Panera bread has constructed what the industry calls a “hidden menu” of highly potent healthy meals. Panera Bread’s hidden menu includes their Power Mediterranean Roasted Turkey and Chicken Salad, and Power Steak Lettuce Wraps.

Chipotle

Families can count their calories online with Chipotle’s nutrition calculator before going out to dinner at one of the company’s many locations. Most of Chipotle’s menu, which is a thoughtful spin on Mexican recipes, has a health focus when compared to other major restaurant chains. It is difficult to make an unhealthy choice. The restaurant chain proudly boasts as a “fresh approach” to preparing food. This approach is grounded in their commitment to a constant search for “Food with Integrity” by partnering with suppliers who pursue all natural and environmentally sustainable methods.

Mimi’s Café

Although they have an array of less-healthy burgers and dinners, Mimi’s Café also has a “Fresh & Fit” section dedicated to nutritious meal options. If you are a salad fan, they offer Mimi’s Chopped Cobb Salad, a wonderfully fresh assortment of lettuce, bacon, turkey, tomatoes, green onions, bleu cheese, and avocados, all adding up to 399 calories. If you’re looking for something a bit more filling, consider their Broiled Chicken and Fruit Plate. At a slim 425 calories and 7 grams of fat, it’s hard to beat the balance and taste of this meal. Beyond these two dishes, there are nearly ten other Fresh and Fit options.

Yumz Frozen Yogurt

And for dessert, we’d like to introduce Yumz Frozen Yogurt. Here is a delicious offering of extremely healthy yet tasty frozen yogurt. Don’t tell the kids, but this yogurt is packed with probiotics. It is also a fat-free and low-calorie choice. All of this healthy content comes in yummy flavors and gorgeous colors the whole family will love. This Chicago frozen yogurt is the perfect balance between irresistible goodness and health-conscious goodness.

 

Eating out with the family doesn’t have to be costly or unhealthy. Today, restaurants are waking up to new horizons that offer great tastes and positive health benefits for every family.